As investment advisors it is our mission to help our clients achieve their financial, as well as life, goals.
Throughout this relationship with our clients, we are there during many of the high points in their lives, but we are also there during some of the most trying too. The loss of a spouse is, of course, likely one of the most challenging experiences one might face in their lifetime. With loss comes grief. At BWFA we look to build strong and trustworthy relationships with our clients so that in their time of greatest need we can ably take on that responsibility of supporting them in the most helpful and personal ways.
BWFA is a fiduciary and as such is required to always act in our clients’ best interests. We take this responsibility seriously and aim to not only care for our client’s financial futures, but to care for their overall well-being, acting as friends and family. In action, this philosophy takes many forms, such as the wide and varied topics offered in our webinars, our “extra-curricular” activities like the book club and cook-a-longs, and our July 4th client appreciation party.
Always looking to better support our clients, we have seen a special and important need to guide clients when they suffer the loss of a spouse. During these difficult times, clients are often faced with issues such as, taking ownership of inherited assets, future estate and tax planning, and updating financial plans to provide security and peace of mind for their future.
To better support our clients as they navigate these issues, many of our staff recently completed the Certified Elder Planning Designation (CEPS). This training has allowed our staff to better understand the aging process and the costs associated with it, and help facilitate the difficult conversations that often need to be had regarding, among many topics, diminished capacity or end of life wishes. Additionally, we have, and continue to, build a trusted network of affiliated professionals, such as Gilchrist Cares, to support our clients.
BWFA is a fiduciary and as such is required to always act in our clients’ best interests. We take this responsibility seriously and aim to not only care for our client’s financial futures, but to care for their overall well-being, acting as friends and family.
With our forward-looking focus on ways to always improve, BWFA is exploring options to have staff members earn Grief Training certifications. This would allow us to better help clients understand their emotions and the phases of grief, as well as assist with treatment strategies to properly process such life changing events. Additional goals include offering support groups, developing an internal network of widows and widowers to serve as a resource for our clients, and partnering with experts in the community for further bereavement support.
We are keenly aware of the trust that our clients place in us to help them achieve financial well-being. Considering our clients to be “family” is not just a catchphrase and we strive every day to find ways to live up to the great responsibility that we’ve been entrusted with.
Thank you for choosing BWFA!
MEGHAN MANAS
CEPS
Director, Client Services & Executive Manager
mmanas@bwfa.com